GL English preparation for QE Barnet
Treat comprehension and technical English as two skills. A boy can understand a passage and still lose marks on spelling, punctuation or the answer grid.
Read the whole passage for support
- Read once for the situation and characters.
- For retrieval, go back to the sentence and match the wording.
- For inference, ask what the whole passage supports.
- For vocabulary, swap the word into its sentence and check the meaning.
- For imagery, name what it changes for the reader.
Worked example Evidence beats a plausible story
A character checks the same locked gate each morning, notices fresh marks near the hinge and hides a key from the other children. Which conclusion is best supported?
- The character dislikes every other child.
- The character is investigating access to the gate.
- The gate definitely leads to a treasure room.
- The character has already opened the gate many times.
Answer: The second answer uses all three clues and goes no further.
The trap: The others add motives or history the passage never gives.
Technical English is a precision check
| Skill | Check | Trap |
|---|---|---|
| Vocabulary | Does it fit the sentence and tone? | A near-synonym that sounds familiar |
| Spelling | Look at the word, not just its sound | Trusting pronunciation |
| Punctuation | Find the sentence boundary | A comma wherever you pause |
| Grammar | Reread the whole sentence | Missing tense or agreement |
A weekly English loop
- One comprehension set.
- One mixed spelling, punctuation and grammar set.
- One review: write the reason for every wrong choice.
- One answer-grid check.